Microstructure evolution of a hypereutectic Nb–Ti–Si–Cr–Al–Hf alloy processed by directional solidification

In this work, the Nb–14Si–24Ti–10Cr–2Al–2Hf–0.1Y alloy(at.%) was processed by the liquid–metal-cooled directional solidification(DS) at 1750 C with withdrawal rates of 1.2, 6,18 mm/min and post heat treatment(HT) at 1450 C for 10 h. The microstructures of the directionally solidified and heat treated samples were investigated. The results show that the microstructure of directionally solidified alloy mainly consists of petaloid Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectics and Ti-rich Nbss+ Nb5Si3+ Cr2Nb eutectics. With the increase of withdrawal rate, the primary Nb5Si3is eliminated, Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectic cells turn round and connected with the microstructure refinement and Nbss+ Nb5Si3+ Cr2Nb eutectics turn to a river-like morphology. After heat treatment,Nbss+ Nb5Si3+ Cr2Nb eutectics disappeared and petaloid Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectics turn to a specific fiber-mesh structure gradually, which is promoted by higher withdrawal rates. Furthermore,both the volume fraction of Cr2Nb and the content of Cr in Nbssof Nbss+ Nb5Si3eutectics change regularly with the increase of withdrawal rate and heat treatment at 1450 C for 10 h.     

Effect of temperature on corrosion behavior of 3003 aluminum alloy in ethylene glycol–water solution

The effect of temperature on the corrosion behavior of 3003 aluminum alloy in ethylene glycol–water solution was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) techniques. The surface characterization was observed and determined by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), atomic force microscopy(AFM) and energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS). The results demonstrate that the anodic aluminum dissolution and the cathodic oxygen reduction were accelerated by the increased temperature. However, as temperature was over60 °C, the solubility and concentration of oxygen decreased, resulting in the inhibition of cathodic reaction. The cathodic reaction rate of 3003 aluminum alloy rose to the maximum at 60 °C. The Warburg impedance in Nyquist diagram diminished and then was replaced by a negative capacitance caused by the absorption of intermediate corrosion product on electrode. On the other hand,after potentiodynamic measurements, 3003 aluminum alloy suffered pitting corrosion. The dissolution of aluminum alloy around secondary phase particles expanded both horizontally and vertically.     

Tribological evaluation of surface modified H13 tool steel in warm forming of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet

The H13 hot-working tool steel is widely used as die material in the warm forming of Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet. However, under the heating condition, severe friction and lubricating conditions between the H13 tools and Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy sheet would cause difficulty in guaranteeing forming quality. Surface modification may be used to control the level of friction force, reduce the friction wear and extend the service life of dies. In this paper, four surface modification methods(chromium plating, TiAlN coating, surface polishing and nitriding treatment)were applied to the H13 surfaces. Taking the coefficient of friction(CoF) and the wear degree as evaluation indicators, the high-temperature tribological behavior of the surface modified H13 steel was experimentally investigated under different tribological conditions. The results of this study indicate that the tribological properties of the TiAlN coating under dry friction condition are better than the others for a wide range of temperature(from room temperature to 500 C), while there is little difference of tribological properties between different surface modifications under graphite lubricated condition, and the variation law of CoF with temperature under graphite lubricated is opposite to that under the dry friction.     

Experimental investigation of laser peening on TiAl alloy microstructure and properties

In order to study the effect of laser peening on microstructures and properties of Ti Al alloy, Ti Al alloy samples were treated by Nd:YAG laser system with the wavelength of 1064 nm,pulse-width of 18 ns, and pulse-energy of 0–10 J. Surface micro-hardness, roughness, and microstructural characteristics were tested with micro-hardness tester, roughness tester and scanning electron microscope. Residual stress and pole figures were tested with X-ray diffraction and its high-temperature stability was analyzed. The experimental results show that surface micro-hardness increases by up to 30%, roughness increases to 0.37 lm, compressive residual stress increases to 337 MPa, and local texture and typical lamellar microstructure are generated. Residual stress, micro-hardness, and(002) pole figures tests are conducted, compressive residual stress value drops from 337 MPa to 260 MPa, hardness value drops from 377 HV_(0.2) to 343 HV_(0.2), and the(002)poles shift back to the center slightly. Laser peening improves microstructure and properties of Ti Al alloy significantly.     

Effects of cerium salts on corrosion behaviors of Si–Zr hybrid sol–gel coatings

The present work examines the effects of cerium salts on corrosion behaviors of Si–Zr hybrid sol–gel coatings. The Si–Zr hybrid sol–gel coatings on a 2A12 aluminum substrate were prepared through hydrolysis and condensation of glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxy-silane(GTMS) and zirconium(IV) n-propoxide(TPOZ). Used as inhibitors for corrosion, three types of cerium salts(Ce(NO_3)_3, CeCl_3, and Ce(CH_3COO)_3) were doped into the sol–gel coatings. Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) were employed to investigate the structures and morphologies of various coatings, and the corrosion resistances of the coatings were evaluated by electrochemical methods and neutral salt spray tests. Experimental results indicate that the addition of cerium salts can hinder the process of corrosion due to their self-healing abilities. Furthermore, the sol–gel coating doped with Ce(CH_3COO)_3 has the best corrosion resistance because of the promotions of hydrolysis and condensation provided by CH_3COO.     

A study on turbulence transportation and modification of Spalart–Allmaras model for shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction flow

It is of great significance to improve the accuracy of turbulence models in shock-wave/ boundary layer interaction flow. The relationship between the pressure gradient, as well as the shear layer, and the development of turbulent kinetic energy in impinging shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction flow at Mach 2.25 is analyzed based on the data of direct numerical simulation(DNS). It is found that the turbulent kinetic energy is amplified by strong shear in the separation zone and the adverse pressure gradient near the separation point. The pressure gradient was non-dimensionalised with local density, velocity, and viscosity. Spalart–Allmaras(S–A) model is modified by introducing the non-dimensional pressure gradient into the production term of the eddy viscosity transportation equation. Simulation results show that the production and dissipation of eddy viscosity are strongly enhanced by the modification of S–A model. Compared with DNS and experimental data, the wall pressure and the wall skin friction coefficient as well as the velocity profile of the modified S–A model are obviously improved. Thus it can be concluded that the modification of S–A model with the pressure gradient can improve the predictive accuracy for simulating the shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction.     

Cleaning space debris with a space-based laser system

High-energy pulsed laser radiation may be the most feasible means to mitigate the threat of collision of a space station or other valuable space assets with orbital debris in the size range of 1–10 cm. Under laser irradiation, part of the debris material is ablated and provides an impulse to the debris particle. Proper direction of the impulse vector either deflects the object trajectory or forces the debris on a trajectory through the upper atmosphere, where it burns up. Most research concentrates on ground-based laser systems but pays little attention to space-based laser systems.There are drawbacks of a ground-based laser system in cleaning space debris. Therefore the placement of a laser system in space is proposed and investigated. Under assumed conditions,the elimination process of space debris is analyzed. Several factors such as laser repetition frequency, relative movement between the laser and debris, and inclination of debris particles which may exercise influence to the elimination effects are discussed. A project of a space-based laser system is proposed according to the numerical results of a computer study. The proposed laser system can eliminate debris of 1–10 cm and succeed in protecting a space station.     

A theoretical model of semi-elliptic surface crack growth

A theoretical model of semi-elliptic surface crack growth based on the low cycle strain damage accumulation near the crack tip along the cracking direction and the Newman–Raju formula is developed. The crack is regarded as a sharp notch with a small curvature radius and the process zone is assumed to be the size of cyclic plastic zone. The modified Hutchinson, Rice and Rosengren(HRR) formulations are used in the presented study. Assuming that the shape of surface crack front is controlled by two critical points: the deepest point and the surface point.The theoretical model is applied to semi-elliptic surface cracked Al 7075-T6 alloy plate under cyclic loading, and five different initial crack shapes are discussed in present study. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical results is obtained.     

Grinding behavior and surface appearance of（TiC_p＋ TiB_w）/Ti-6Al-4V titanium matrix composites

（TiCp＋ TiBw）/Ti-6Al-4V titanium matrix composites（PTMCs） have broad application prospects in the aviation and nuclear field. However, it is a typical difficult-to-cut material due to high hardness of the reinforcements, high strength and low thermal conductivity of Ti-6Al-4V alloy matrix. Grinding experiments with vitrified CBN wheels were conducted to analyze comparatively the grinding performance of PTMCs and Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Grinding force and force ratios, specific grinding energy, grinding temperature, surface roughness, ground surface appearance were discussed. The results show that the normal grinding force and the force ratios of PTMCs are much larger than that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Low depth of cut and high workpiece speed are generally beneficial to achieve the precision ground surface for PTMCs. The hard reinforcements of PTMCs are mainly removed in the ductile mode during grinding. However, the removal phenomenon of the reinforcements due to brittle fracture still exists, which contributes to the lower specific grinding energy and grinding temperature of PTMCs than Ti-6Al-4V alloy.     

Experimental research on electrochemical machining of titanium alloy Ti60 for a blisk

Ti60(Ti–5.6Al–4.8Sn–2Zr–1Mo–0.35Si–0.7Nd) is a high-temperature titanium alloy that is now used for important components of aircraft engines. Electrochemical machining(ECM) is a promising technique that has several advantages, such as a high machining rate, and can be used on a wide range of difficult-to-process materials. In this paper, orthogonal experiments are conducted to investigate ECM of Ti60, with the aim of determining the influences of some electrochemical process parameters on the surface roughness. The most important parameter is found to be the frequency of the pulsed power supply. It is found that using suitably optimized parameters for ECM can greatly decrease the surface roughness of a workpiece. A surface roughness of approximately 0.912 lm can be obtained with the following optimal parameters: Na Cl electrolyte concentration 13wt%, voltage20 V, pulse frequency 0.4 k Hz, duty cycle 0.3, temperature 23 °C, and anode feed rate 0.5 mm/min.Furthermore, blisk blades have been successfully processed using these optimized parameters.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hybrid fabricated 1Cr12Ni2WMoVNb steel by laser melting deposition

 Laser melting deposition was carried out to deposit a 1Cr12Ni2WMoVNb steel bar on a wrought bar of same material. Room-temperature tensile properties of the hybrid fabricated 1Cr12Ni2WMoVNb steel sample were evaluated, and microstructure, fracture surface morphology, and hardness profile were analyzed by an optical microscope (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a hardness tester. Results show that the hybrid fabricated 1Cr12Ni2WMoVNb steel sample consists of laser deposited zone, wrought substrate zone, and heat affected zone (HAZ) of the wrought substrate. The laser deposited zone has coarse columnar prior austenite grains and fine well-aligned dendritic structure, while the HAZ of the wrought substrate has equiaxed prior austenite grains which are notably finer than those in the wrought substrate zone. Besides, austenitic transformation mechanism of the HAZ of the wrought substrate is different from that of the laser deposited zone during the reheating period of the laser deposition, which determines the different prior austenite grain morphologies of the two zones. Microhardness values of both the laser deposited zone and the HAZ of the wrought substrate are higher than that of the wrought substrate zone. Tensile properties of the hybrid fabricated 1Cr12Ni2WMoVNb steel sample are comparable to those of the wrought bar, and fracture occurs in the wrought substrate zone during the tensile test.     

Microstructural evolution and hardness of as-cast Be-Al-Sc-Zr alloy processed by laser surface remelting

As-cast beryllium-aluminum (Be-Al) alloy exhibits a coarse microstructure with pore defects due to a large solidification interval, greatly limiting its mechanical properties. In this research, the relationship between laser surface remelting process and microstructure and hardness of as-cast Be-Al-Sc-Zr alloy was established. The experimental results demonstrated that a pore-free refined microstructure of remelted layer was obtained by controlling the parameter of effective laser energy input. The microstructure of as-cast Be-Al-Sc-Zr alloy consisted of equiaxed grains with Al phase forming a continuous frame wrapping Be phase, which was significantly refined in the remelted zone (from 25 μm to 2 μm). The Vickers hardness in the remelted zone (approximately 210 HV) was approximately 3 times that of as-cast Be-Al-Sc-Zr alloy. Analysis of the Vickers hardness and the Be phase size showed a good agreement with a Hall-Petch equation. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis evidenced that Sc and Zr elements formed a single blocky phase Be₁₃(Sc_x,Zr_1-x), which was also greatly refined from 8 μm to 1.5 μm in the remelted zone. The results obtained in this study indicate that the laser surface remelting allowed refining the microstructure and further strengthening the Vickers hardness of Be-Al-Sc-Zr alloy.     

Fe含量对2219铝合金锻件焊接组织与性能的影响

为研究杂质Fe元素对2219铝合金及其焊接接头的组织、性能以及电化学腐蚀性能等的影响,采用力学拉伸、焊接试验以及金相和扫描电镜等分析测试方法,对0.15%(w)至0.01%(w)等不同Fe元素含量的2219铝合金锻件进行实验研究和分析。研究表明:2219铝合金中经热变形加工存在网络状Al_2Cu变成颗粒状和纤维状的Al_7Cu_2(Fe,Mn)相,随着Fe含量由0.15%(w)降低至0.01%(w),合金固溶时效后的Al_7Cu_2(Fe,Mn)相显著减少,锻件强度和塑性显著提高;合金焊接接头断口由脆性断裂逐渐转变为韧窝尺寸细小的韧性断裂,尤其对于延伸率,提高至近1.4倍,强度和塑性显著提高;合金的自腐蚀电流逐渐减小,单位面积上的线性极化电阻增大,合金焊接接头的耐腐蚀性能显著提高。     

Microstructure,porosity and mechanical properties of selective laser melted AlSi10Mg

Finite element modeling (FEM), microscopy, X-ray computed tomography (CT) and mechanical property tests were used to study the microstructure, porosity and mechanical properties of an AlSi10Mg alloy produced by selective laser melting (SLM). The simulation of the melt pool and thermal history under different energy densities produced an optimized result with an energy density of 44.5 J·mm⁻³. The high cooling rate during the SLM process significantly refined the previous α-Al dendrites. The growth direction of the network-like Al-Si eutectic structure at different orientations confirmed the anisotropic nature of the microstructure. Furthermore, the microhardness, tensile testing and fracture analysis results proved that there were no obvious distinctions in the strength between the transverse and longitudinal directions, and that the ductility was anisotropic, possibly due to the shape and distribution of the pores. The pores measured by X-ray CT at different energy densities confirmed that the sphericity of the pores was inversely related to pores volumes. With optimized processing conditions, the porosity of the selective laser melted sample decreased leading to the improved fabricated fuel system component via SLM.     

TC21细晶钛合金TIG焊接接头组织及力学性能研究

开展了不同晶粒尺寸的细晶粒TC21钛合金的TIG焊接实验,研究了母材及接头组织和力学性能。结果表明：细晶粒TC21钛合金TIG焊接接头抗拉强度达到母材的95％左右,焊接性较好;但是焊接接头脆化严重,伸长率和断面收缩率均较低。焊缝中心和热影响区组织相似,为α’马氏体组织。相同焊接规范下,21μm的细晶TC21合金焊缝及热影响区为片状或长粒状α’组织;而7μm的细晶TC21合金接头中α’丛的尺寸较小且相互交错,形成针状或短粒状α’组织。硬度测试表明：靠近母材的热影响区细晶区存在一个软化区,该区域硬度最低,而焊缝中心与热影响区粗晶区分界处（细晶过渡区（FTZ））也存在硬度的下降,不过此区域下降幅度不大。常温拉伸断口呈准解理断裂特征,随着母材晶粒度的增大,焊接接头解理特征越明显。     

Al含量对空心阴极等离子烧结Ti/Ni等原子比TiNiAl合金组织和力学性能的影响

 采用空心阴极等离子烧结工艺制备了Ti/Ni等原子比的Ti_50-x/2Ni_50-x/2Al_x(x=0,3,6,9)合金,研究了Al含量对合金微观组织以及力学性能的影响。结果表明:未添加铝的合金微观组织主要由NiTi基体、强化相Ti₂Ni、Ni₃Ti及孔隙组成;随着Al含量的提高,合金中Ti₂Ni(Al)数量不断增多,孔隙数量和孔径不断增加,Ni₃Ti(Al)数量不断减少,在Ti_45.5Ni_45.5Al₉中还生成了少量Ni₂TiAl相;合金的抗弯强度随Al含量的提高而增加,并在Al含量为6%时达到最大值296.3 MPa;合金的硬度随铝含量的提高而增加,Ti_45.5Ni_45.5Al₉的硬度值为295.6 HV。     

Single track and single layer formation in selective laser melting of niobium solid solution alloy

Selective laser melting (SLM) was employed to fabricate Nb-37Ti-13Cr-2Al-1Si (at%) alloy, using pre-alloyed powders prepared by plasma rotating electrode processing (PREP). A series of single tracks and single layers under different processing parameters was manufactured to evaluate the processing feasibility by SLM, including laser power, scanning speed, and hatch distance. Results showed that continuous single tracks could be fabricated using proper laser powers and scanning velocities. Both the width of a single track and its penetration depth into a substrate increased with an increase of the linear laser beam energy density (LED), i.e., an increase of the laser power and a decrease of the scanning speed. Nb, Ti, Si, Cr, and Al elements distributed heterogeneously over the melt pool in the form of swirl-like patterns. An excess of the hatch distance was not able to interconnect neighboring tracks. Under improper processing parameters, a balling phenomenon occurred, but could be eliminated with an increased LED. This work testified the SLM-processing feasibility of Nb-based alloy and promoted the application of SLM to the manufacture of niobium-based alloys.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of In-situ Synthesized Al2O3/TiAl Composites

Al2O3 particle-reinforced TiAl composites are successfully reaction-synthesized from the powder mixture of Ti, Al, TiO2, and Nb2O5, using the hot pressing reaction synthesis technique. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-sintered products are investigated. It is found that in the as-sintered products consisting of γ-TiAl, α2-Ti3Al, Al2O3, and NbAl3 phases, the fine Al2O3 particles tend to disperse on the grain boundaries. With the Nb2O5 content increasing, the grains are remarkably refined and the Al2O3 particles are dispersing more uniformly in the TiAl matrix, forming a partial lamellar structure containing α and lamellar phases. The hardness of the in-situ composites increases gradually, and the bending strength and the fracture toughness of the as-sintered products reach the maximum value of 398.5 MPa and 6.99 MPa·m^1/2, respectively, as the Nb2O5 content increases to 6 wt%.     

LY2铝合金的激光冲击强化区硬度和残余应力测试分析

为了研究激光冲击处理对LY2航空铝合金力学性能的影响,采用Nd:YAG激光器对航空铝合金LY2进行了激光冲击强化处理,测定其显微硬度和残余应力.结果表明,经过激光冲击处理后,试样表面没有受强脉冲激光和冲击波的破坏,而显微硬度和残余压应力明显提高,激光冲击处理后的强化区与光斑相当,深度约为1.2mm.     

热等静压对激光选区熔化成形GH4169合金持久性能的影响

采用激光选区熔化(SLM)成形技术制备了GH4169合金,运用金相显微镜(OM)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、电子背散射衍射(EBSD)和透射电镜(TEM)等分析手段分析了热等静压对SLM成形GH4169合金组织及持久性能的影响规律。结果表明:沉积态合金组织中,沿沉积方向的晶粒为柱状晶,晶粒内枝晶组织细小,枝晶间分布大量Laves相;热等静压处理可有效消除组织中气孔缺陷,溶解大部分Laves相,促使组织晶粒等轴化,并减少后续980℃固溶处理过程中δ相在晶内的析出;热等静压处理能提高合金的持久寿命,但会降低合金的持久塑性。